As far as I remember, Zappa was always ripping off Zappa and also anyone else that he liked or didn't like - one of the reasons I love his music so much.However, if you want to hear the ultimate ripoff of "Billie Jean" then listen to the Residents' version of Hank Williams' "Kaw-Liga" and they wrote a whole song denigrating him too ("Just For You" from "Disfigured Night").

_________________"I have learned from my mistakes, and I am sure I can repeat them exactly."

I do think it's good to make a distinction between stealing a tune or using it.American culture has a large tradition of using existing works of art: Andy Warhol, Charles Ives. many works of Charles Ives can be seen as collages of known melodies. Also Zappa often uses it effectively.And there is good reason for it: well known songs or images have already found a place in people's consciousness. So using that melody or image can make a strong and immediate comment on what the original represents. Think of how many times the Mona Lisa has been used!

Now with Zappa there are many examples, but there is one song that always strikes me: Watermelon in Easter Hay on Joe's Garage. I always get a strong association with Pink Floyd. It starts with Zappa's laugh, which has the same kind of feel to it as how Pink Floyd laughs on Eclipse (Dark Side of the Moon). And the solo itself has something of the same slow moving development that Pink Floyd uses a lot. I always think that Zappa could have named the song The David Gilmour Secret Chord Progression.

As far as I remember, Zappa was always ripping off Zappa and also anyone else that he liked or didn't like - one of the reasons I love his music so much.However, if you want to hear the ultimate ripoff of "Billie Jean" then listen to the Residents' version of Hank Williams' "Kaw-Liga" and they wrote a whole song denigrating him too ("Just For You" from "Disfigured Night").

Hey my friend, i was trying to instill irony in my answers but it seems i failed to do so.I promise you i realized WHY DON'T YOU LIKE ME was about MJ and that he used BILLY JEAN bass line (and riff) on purpose.And just like you i love his musical "quotes" of other artists and musicians, some obvious some less so (ie someone - Ike Willis? - humming Verdi's Rigoletto at the end of CATHOLIC GIRLS)

I do think it's good to make a distinction between stealing a tune or using it.American culture has a large tradition of using existing works of art: Andy Warhol, Charles Ives. many works of Charles Ives can be seen as collages of known melodies. Also Zappa often uses it effectively.And there is good reason for it: well known songs or images have already found a place in people's consciousness. So using that melody or image can make a strong and immediate comment on what the original represents. Think of how many times the Mona Lisa has been used!

Now with Zappa there are many examples, but there is one song that always strikes me: Watermelon in Easter Hay on Joe's Garage. I always get a strong association with Pink Floyd. It starts with Zappa's laugh, which has the same kind of feel to it as how Pink Floyd laughs on Eclipse (Dark Side of the Moon). And the solo itself has something of the same slow moving development that Pink Floyd uses a lot. I always think that Zappa could have named the song The David Gilmour Secret Chord Progression.

Am I the only one who gets the association?

Wow! WATERMELON and PINK FLOYD, never thought about that one, probably because Zappa's and Gilmour's soloing are...well...very different.But now that i think of it, WIEH time sig is alternated bars of 4/4 and 5/4 just like...MONEY! More seriously, i understand what you mean by slow developpement and leaving space in the solo.If only Vinnie had taken some downers in order to sound more like Mason...

Wow! WATERMELON and PINK FLOYD, never thought about that one, probably because Zappa's and Gilmour's soloing are...well...very different.But now that i think of it, WIEH time sig is alternated bars of 4/4 and 5/4 just like...MONEY! More seriously, i understand what you mean by slow developpement and leaving space in the solo.If only Vinnie had taken some downers in order to sound more like Mason...

The time sig on WIEH does make it more sound like Pink Floyd. But, and this is a personal preference, I do like any drummer that ever played in a Zappa band over Nick Mason... Nick Mason wants to play symphonic/orchestral, using a lot of timpani and, if not, playing the drums like he is playing timpany.Zappa drummers always create an interesting texture within a composition.

Both Led Zeppelin and Judas Priest ripped off aspects of 'Lucifer's Friend's' "Ride in the Sky" from 1970.The song opens with a sax or other brass instrument that Robert Plant must have heard and used on the "Immigrant Song" (he sings the exact melody used by LF) and Judas Priest's "the Island of Domination" is nearly a note for note rip off.

_________________Music > EverythingCLETUS must now, regretfully, dispose of the ones who refuse to alter their unmusical ways.http://www.vulturesawait.com

I loved Rhinoplasty and Videoplasty, actually... it's Antipop I'm upset about. What were they thinking?

I honestly liked Antipop. While some of the songs absolutely blow(Electric Uncle Sam, Mama Didn't Raise No Fool), I think it also has some of their best work(Eclectic Electric, The Final Voyage Of The Liquid Sky, Dirty Drowning Man).

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